You'll never know these meatballs are egg-free and dairy-free! They're juicy, tender and packed with awesome flavor. Whether you ran out of eggs or you're accommodating food allergies, this is the perfect recipe.
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My husband and I have zero food allergies, but our toddler does. This requires me to modify my cooking at times!
I'm not one to snub frozen, store-bought meatballs. They're tasty and convenient. But sometimes it's hard to find a dairy-free and egg-free brand.
We do like these Cooked Perfect All Natural frozen meatballs which are milk and egg free. But if I can't find them, or a comparable brand, we go homemade!
These meatballs make for a tasty appetizer with dipping sauce, but can also be turned into a full meal. I use them to make sweet and sour meatballs, spaghetti with tomato sauce, meatball subs, cocktail meatballs and meatball soup.
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Egg Free Meatballs Are Easy!
Straightforward: Dairy-free, eggless meatballs are no sweat. You won't have to buy any crazy ingredients or follow any unique instructions.
Flavor bombs: Don't worry about compromising on flavor. This meatball recipe is beyond delicious, you'll never know they're egg & milk free.
Quick and easy: Make your meatballs in about 20 minutes and bake for 15-20. This recipe really doesn't take that long.
Make-ahead friendly: Easy meal prep! Make a batch ahead of time and store in the freezer for busy weeknights.
Grocery Shopping List
- Ground beef: I use 80/20 ground beef for egg free meatballs. Fat is a great replacement binder in the absence of egg and holds everything together.
- Bread crumbs: I use the Kikkoman brand which are dairy and egg free, be sure to double check ingredients list on packaging.
- Worcestershire sauce: Adds SO much flavor!
- Mustard: Use whatever you've got on hand. I've tried this recipe with both Dijon mustard and regular yellow. Both worked great.
- Seasonings: Italian seasoning, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.
Making Allergy-Friendly Meatballs:
Keep scrolling for the full recipe card and measurements. We’ll start here with a quick overview!
Mix ingredients:
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Combine beef, breadcrumbs, mustard, Worcestershire and seasonings in a large mixing bowl. Mix until well combined, but don't overwork the beef (this can result in tough meatball texture).
Portion out the meatballs:
- Line a baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup and place a wire rack on top. No baking rack? That's okay. I like using one because it allows excess fat to drip away, but you can make do without.
- Measure meatball mixture into 1-inch, 1-ounce portions. Use a food scale or just eyeball it! They don't have to be perfect.
Bake & enjoy:
- Bake meatballs for 15-20 minutes. They’re ready when internal temperature reads 160°F. Use them for meatball sandwiches, spaghetti with marinara, sweet and sour meatballs, cocktail meatballs and so much more!
Stacey's Top Tips 🍝
- Minimal mixing: For the best meatballs, try not to over-mix the ground beef. This can make the meatballs tougher and not as juicy.
- Chilling helps: If you're having trouble rolling the meat mixture, chill it first. This will make it less sticky and easier to work with. Slightly wet hands also help with stickiness.
- No food scale? If you don’t have a food scale at home, you can use a tablespoon to help eyeball the measurement.
How To Meal-Prep Meatballs
Homemade meatballs can be frozen cooked or uncooked. I like to keep a big batch in the freezer for easy weeknight meals.
Raw meatballs need to be flash-frozen in a single layer on a baking sheet first, so they don’t stick together. Once they’re frozen, you can toss them in a Ziploc bag. Add 2-3 minutes to the baking time for frozen uncooked meatballs.
You do not need to flash-freeze meatballs that have already been cooked, they can go right into a freezer bag once cooled.
Common Questions
Absolutely! Just use a fattier ground beef for extra flavor and to prevent crumbling. You'll never even notice the egg is missing.
Definitely not! Simply use 80/20% ground beef to add extra flavor and moisture. They'll taste just like traditional meatballs.
It's not really necessary. I recommend just leaving the egg out rather than spending money on a egg replacer.
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Eggless & Dairy Free Meatballs
Equipment
- Large sheet pan *Mine is 12x17 inches
- Baking rack *You can get away without a rack. I like using one so that excess fats drip away during baking.
- Food gloves *Convenient for rolling meatballs and easy cleanup, but not required.
- Food scale *For uniformity in meatball size! You can just eyeball it if you don't have a scale.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef *80/20% *see note below
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs *see note below
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon mustard *Dijon or regular yellow
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasonings
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Recipe Notes:
Ground beef: It's important to use a fattier ground beef for this recipe. The fat really helps bind meatballs together so they don't crumble apart in the absence of egg. Breadcrumbs: Double check ingredients label for egg and milk free. General: I like making my meatballs in the oven, but you can also sauté them on the stovetop in a large skillet.Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉.
- Measure ground beef and breadcrumbs into a large bowl.2 pounds ground beef, ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- Add Worcestershire sauce, mustard and seasonings.2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon mustard, 2 teaspoons Italian seasonings, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Using your hands or a spoon, mix everything together well! Be careful not to overwork the ground beef as it can become tough.
- Line your baking sheet with foil and place baking rack on top. You can leave your sheet unlined, but foil makes cleanup easier.
- Roll meat mixture into 1-inch, 1-ounce portions. You'll have about 30 meatballs when you're done.
- Bake for about 15 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 160℉. Enjoy!
How To Store Leftovers:
- Allow meatballs to cool and place leftovers in an airtight container. Refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 4 months!
Nutrition
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